Yes/No Questions

To ask a yes/no question in Swahili simply prefix the "je" to the beginning of the question.

The question can be answered either positively by using "Ndio" (sometimes spelt "nidyo"), or negatively by using "Hapana"

Je, jina lako ni Ali?
Is your name Ali?

Ndiyo, Jina langu ni Ali.
Yes, my name is Ali.

Hapana, jina langu si Ali.
No my name is not Ali.

Note that the negative form of the verb "to be" is "si"

Some examples

Jina lako ni Liz?
Is your name Liz?

Hapana, jina langu si Liz
No, my name is not Liz.

Present Tense of "to be"

In English the verb "to be" is irrregular; I am, you are, he is. In Swahili the verb "to be" in its present tense form is simple, with just one form "ni".

Jina langu ni John.
My name is John

Mimi ni mzungu
I'm a European

Yeye ni Elizabeth na hayu ni Kevin
She is Elizabeth and this is Kevin

Sisi ni wanafunzi
We are students

Verb Conjugation

Today some practice with basic verb conjugations.

1) Subject pronouns ( I, you, he/she, we, you, they )

• mimi (I)
• wewe (you s.)
• yeye (he, she)
• sisi (we)
• nyinyi (you pl.)
• wao (they)

2) Subject prefixes on verbs

Subject prefixes are added before a verb root to represent the subject of the sentence.

The subject prefixes for personal pronouns are:

• mimi ni-
• wewe u-
• yeye a-
• sisi tu-
• nyinyi m-
• wao wa-

3) Present tense

The present tense of a verb involves adding a second prefix "-na-" between the subject prefix and the root. The verb construction is hence formed by

[subject prefix] + "na" + [verb root]

For example the verb kutoka means to come from. The root is formed by removing the infinitive part of the verb "ku" leaving the verb root toka. The tense infix na representing present tense is added and the subject prefix is added to the start.

mimi ni-na-toka.... I come from....

wewe u-na-toka.... you come from.... (s.)

yeye a-na-toka.... he/she comes from....

sisi tu-na-toka.... we come from....

nyinyi m-na-toka.... you come from.... (pl.)

wao wa-na-toka.... they come from...

5) Some verbs for practice

kutoka to come from

kusema to speak

kusoma to study/read

kukaa to live/stay

kupenda to like/love

kulala to sleep

kucheka to laugh

kuimba to sing

kucheza to play/dance

kuandika to write

kusikia to hear

kuona to see

kuishi to live

kujibu to answer

kujaribu to try

kurudi to return to

kufikiri to think

6) Examples using kusema

• mimi ninasema Kiswahili
• wewe unasema Kiswahili
• yeye anasema Kiswahili
• sisi tunasema Kiswahili
• nyinyi mnasema Kiswahili
• wao wanasema Kiswahili

7) More examples



Mimi ninasoma Kiswahili.
I am studying swahili

Mimi ninakaa Indu.
I live in India

Mimi ninapenda bibi yangu.
I love my wife

Wewe unapenda kulala.
You like to sleep.

nyinyi mnalala.
You are sleeping.

mimi ninapenda kuimba na kucheza.
I like to sing and to dance

mimi ninajaribu kuandika Kswahili.
I try to write swahili

mimi ninafikiri wewe unasoma Kiswahili.
I think you are reading swahili

Habari Gani?

Habari! Jina langu ni John. Mimi ni Mzungu na bibi yangu ni MKenya.
Mimi ninazaliwa Nairobi. Mimi ni bibi yangu tunapenda Nairobi. Sisi tunakaa Hindi.

Mimi ninasoma Kiswahili. Hili ni somo langu la kwanza.

Tutaonana!